Agriculture and Environmentalist Efforts
By : Lydia Trujillo
The vast majority of US farmlands are tyrannized by industrialized agriculture. Practices carried out within the sector pose threats to the wellbeing of both land and humanity. Dr. Elizabeth Wheat from SkyRoot farm and other advocates for sustainable agriculture are working to enhance rather than damage farmland for the sake of present and future populations.
Operations of industrialized agriculture companies are set with intentions to maximize product output and thusly generate greater monetary income. This is achieved through monoculture [large-scale cultivation of individual crops/livestock] as well as substantial dependence on chemical additives. These chemicals come in the form of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and antibiotics.
Agricultural biodiversity is important in that it preserves the health of soil and water and supports functions of ecosystems like pollination. The industrial practice of monoculture damages land by exhausting soil and making land more susceptible to erosion.
CAFOs [Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations], also known as mega farms, emit over 168 gases including hazardous ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane. In addition to the threats of pollution, there are ethical concerns regarding CAFOs because of the harsh and confined conditions these animals experience over their lifetime.
Chemically produced fertilizers, pesticides, and antibiotics which are used to increase the yield of crop/animal products are hazardous. The runoff from artificial fertilizers collects in bodies of water, creating dead zones. Additionally, pesticides used to maintain health of crops can put animals (specifically birds) and humans (especially agricultural workers) that come in contact with the products in danger. In fact, there is a raising concern of a link between pesticide use and cancer.
About 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions are coming from agricultural practices. Global warming poses serious threats for drought, sea level increases, melting of ice caps in Arctic areas, and disturbance to ecosystem functions through loss of species.
If this were not enough, there are negative health implications from abuse of antibiotics within animal agriculture. Antibiotics are routinely added into animal feed in order to both promote rapid growth of animals and to prevent illness within harsh and confined living conditions. Antibiotic resistance of animals due to overuse is likely connected to a growing crisis of antibiotic resistance within the human population which causes about 23,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone.
Evidently, there are considerable issues within mainstream agriculture. Foreseeable exhaustion of land, air, and water quality due to corrupt practices within the industry put animal and human life at stake. Thankfully, environmentalists like Dr. Elizabeth Wheat from SkyRoot farm are working toward sustainable farming practices.
Beth is a professor at the University of Washington within the College of the Environment. She is passionate about applying her knowledge as an ecologist to the practices carried out on SkyRoot Farm.
SkyRoot farm is a 20-acre vegetable and animal farm on South Whidbey Island. Beth says her mission is to create a farm that is “ecologically, economically and personally sustainable, including setting an example for farms everywhere by increasing the organic content of our soil to grow better vegetables and combat climate change!”
Unlike industrialized farms, Beth works to foster a healthy, chemical-free, and biodiverse environment. She grows 3 acres of fruits and vegetables, raises animals such as goats, chickens, and ducks, creates her fertilizer on-site, and more.
Beth has a big focus on constant learning and improvement. She is currently researching the nutrients of kelp and its potential to enrich soil. Her dedication and passion is remarkable as her work comes from a place of selflessness and happiness.
Today only 2% percent of the U.S. population are farmers. This number needs to be increased with more people like Dr. Elizabeth Wheat. Change is in the hands of consumers. Making the choice to purchase produce from small sustainable farming operations provides more power to environmentally conscious people like Beth and takes it away from untrustworthy agricultural corporations.
SkyRoot farm is an impeccable model for progress in the agricultural industry. With more small-scale sustainable farms and less destructive mass production, food demands can be met without depletion of vital resources or climate change.
